Stuck in the Middle with You
by ProfessorPing
Summary: Have you ever felt yourself traped in a play that you can't escape from? A play that you perform every day with the same mask on? Michelangelo has had a piece of his soul broken, but what will it cost to mend it (lots of symbolism, metephors, ext.)
1. Default Chapter

Dear Readers,

Currently without anything to do and my Internet us down. This seemed like the only thing that could kill some time before the computer people show up at my dorm door and attempt to fix my computer.

Been meaning to write a TMNT fanfiction for the longest time. I started a few, but never really got into one long enough to stick with it. We'll just have to see where this one takes me. smiles

Enjoy the read!

.: KareBear :.

"Stuck in the Middle with You"

Chapter 1

Contrary to the title of this tale, the story is not about the middle child of a certain reptilian family. In the family of four brothers, there was no middle child. No, this story is about the youngest child. The dreamer, the idealist, the passive, and the purest in a family of very serious turtle New Yorkers. This child's name was Michelangelo, and he was the youngest of four mutant ninja turtles and one father figure rat living in the sewers of the Big Apple. This family, with fear that they would be discovered in the outside world, had lain dormant and led a secretive live in the sewers they called home. However, this was not the life for the youngest son. He dreamed of soaring the skies, sailing the seas, and traveling the lands in search of something greater. What that "greater something" be was a mysterious, but he believed in his heart that it was out there, and he only need leave the sewers to find what it was. However, every day he awoke from his dreams, he found himself slowly getting pulled down. He would awake in the same bed, the same place, the same sewer that was hidden from the world.

Though he longed for a life away from crime fighting and sewer drains, he did love the people he was with. Loved them more then even he himself knew. His family of three older brothers and his sensei were the only things he had in the world, and treasured them more then his very live. Though his brothers tended to tease him for his child like ways, he still loved them unconditionally. It was heart breaking sometimes; the way they would go on and nag him about his dreams and wishes, yet he stilled loved them with all his heart and soul. Sometimes naivety can be the like ignorance, blissful until realization.

Our story started off like any other day. To be more accurate, it was night. The sky was clear, the roads were semi empty, and, for once, the streets seemed to be clear of crime and destruction. This made the second oldest, Raphael, very uptight and rambunctious. This didn't help the family at all as everyone knew that when Raphael was restless, he had a tendency of snapping at the first person that lit his very small fuse. The third oldest, Donatello, was quite ecstatic over the recent lessening of crime and was now given the optimal amount of time to work on his scientific projects and discoveries. The oldest and leader of the group, Leonardo, neither ecstatic nor rambunctious, had taken the time to mediate and focus his thoughts on improving his mental abilities. Michelangelo, who didn't exactly enjoy looking for fights, had taken the time to position himself on the couch with his sketchbook and half used pencil and let his imagination run wild across the page.

Raphael, who had yet to exert all his energy into the nearby punching bag, banged away furiously upon the large bag of hanging sand. Between the noise of his grunting, the mumbled uniformities, and the sound of the bag being impaled upon over and over, was enough to make any civil person a little testy. Donatello wished for some piece and quiet so that he may continue his work, Leonardo wished to have peace in order to concentrate, and Michelangelo wished for peace in order to hear his imaginations suggestions on his current piece of art. After about two hours of this, the three other turtles had, had enough. Michelangelo, being the closest to the noise however, broke first.

"Raph!" Mike being in a loud voice so as to get the attention of his older brother. It worked and Raphael stopped to listen while panting for air. This time Michelangelo spoke more commonly "Think you could tone it down a bit dude? I'm trying to draw and the bros are trying to concentrate on their stuff."

Though not eloquently put, that was basically what everyone wanted to say and both Don and Leo sighed a breathe of relief when the noise had stopped.

Raphael, however, angry enough as it was, was not in the mood to be stopped for such an infinitesimal triviality. Though taking into account how Mike had asked him, he continued his practice without answering Mike (in order to assure himself that he wouldn't snap at his youngest brother).

Mike, who felt slightly hurt at his older brother ignorance, had gently laid his paper and pencil upon the makeshift coffee table and, jumping over the couch, walked over to speak to his brother.

After getting about two feet away from, Mike stopped and spoke.

"Come on dude." He said in a little louder voice then normal to get through the grunts and mumbles his brother was making. "It's been about two hours, can't you relax for a bit?" Mike, suddenly feeling that this would give his older brother reason to snap, decided to lessen the blow a bit "Let's make some popcorn and I'll throw on a...."

"QUIET!!!" Raphael finally snapped at him and brought away from his practice to verbally snap at his brother. "By the shell, you are annoying sometimes!!"

Mike, taken back, began in a little lower, yet slightly scared tone

"Dude, it's okay bro! We just want you to relax a bit, you been pounding away at that thing for a while now. Aren't you tired?"

"No, I am not tired!! I peeved as shell cause I gotta sit here and listen to you gripe when I could be fighting some thug!" Raphael walked away a bit to practice some of his ninja skills by himself.

Mike, not done with the conversation yet, stood where he was and continued.

"But Raph, we looked all over the city tonight and it's clean! Don't you think you should take it easy? I mean, how many times does New York have no crime!" Mike said with a smile and a soft laugh.

Raphael, however, was not amused and turned to his brother with a sour look on his face.

"That's what's weird!! New York is NEVER this quiet. Something must be up." He said turned towards the door. "I'm going to have a run through again."

He went to walk away, when a hand touched his shoulders. He turned to see Mikey smiling at him.

"I'll go with you!" he said with a helpful smile.

"No you won't." Raphael said in a huff and shook his hand off his shoulder.

"Why not??"

"Cause you'll get in my way!" he said turning back to him sharply

"No I won't!" Mikey replied with a angry, hurt expression.

Raph turned to his brother and took a few steps to get close to his face. He then took his left index finger and began poking Mikey hard against his left shoulder after every sentence.

"You will get in my way! Just like you ALWAYS do! When the going gets tough, you're ALWAYS the first to get cold feet! Just stay here and keep doodling in that stupid sketch thing of yours and LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Mikey needed a moment to pause and think all this over. He felt a rush of sadness sweep over him from his feet to his eyes and stay brimming at his eyes. He suddenly could feel how cold the floor was and the misty air that lurked around him.

He felt the urge to yell at Raph, to tell him that those were lies, but he couldn't find the words, and could only say a few words in a low voice.

"It's...." he said as he took a gulp of salvia and tried to suppress the large lump that had formed in his throat ".... it's not a stupid sketch book...."

"It's NOT???" Raph asked angrily as he walked over and grabbed the book.

Mikey instinctively raised his arms, as if to grab it from thin air. His face became worried and he froze in fear for what Raph might do in his state.

Meanwhile Leo had cracked his eye open and listened to his brothers ranting. Don leaned back in his chair to watch. Both were ready to pounce on Raph at any moment.

Raph took the book and shook it like a rag doll.

"All you do is sketch, eat, and sleep! You don't contribute a thing to this family. And this stupid sketch book is just one of the reasons!"

"Raph, please don't ...." Mikey was getting increasingly worried for the safety of his sketchbook. He had his most scared treasures in there. His love and sadness, hatred and fears, sketched across those pages. "...please give that back, Raph!" he took a few steps forward, but was cautious. He didn't want Raph to do anything Mikey would regret.

"You need to get your mind out of your fantasies and DO SOMETHING USEFUL FOR ONCE!!"

Mikey stopped and starred at Raph. Why was he saying all this? Was this what Raph really thought??

"And this....stupid....piece....of....CRAP!..is just one the causes for all this!"

There was a tearing noise that echoed throughout the entire lair. It was echoed out deep into the far reaches of the sewers and seem to last forever. It echoed and touched every part of the underground drains and pipes, walls and cracks, and every ear that could catch just a hint of the sound knew, instinctively, that it was wrong.

Splinters eyes snapped open as he sensed something wrong suddenly course through the walls and touched his soul with the sound of tearing paper.

Don slowly got up from his chair and starred in shocked amazement. Not able to move or speak, for he felt the sound and felt the eerie presence that came with it.

Leo had stood and found himself able to take a few bold leaps and bounds, but just stop short of his two brothers for he two felt something about odd about the way the paper sounded as it was teared to shreds.

Michelangelo stood in silences as he watched the pieces of teared paper fall around like fallen leaves in the days just before winter. He too heard the strange sound that came from the tearing of paper, but unlike the others, he immediately knew what was causing the sound. The paper wasn't _just_ paper, it was his imagination and inspiration, his feelings and heart.

Raphael wasn't ripping paper....

....he was ripping apart of Michelangelo's soul...

Raphael was too blinded by his rage and too deaf by his own anger driven thoughts to hear the true sound of the tearing paper.

"This is what I think of your stupid sketches!" he through the pieces of his brothers work into the air and watched as they slowly fell to the ground.

Michelangelo watched them till they had gently touched and lay delicately upon the ground. He didn't lift his head; he didn't want to, he couldn't look his brother in the eyes.

Raphael was about to continue, when he felt something grab him from behind and put him into hold even he couldn't escape from. He turned quickly to see it was Donatello, with an expression he had never seen before.

"Do...."

Before Raph could finish, he felt some suddenly slam into his stomach. Something swift and strong, powered by the unknown force of anger. Raphael quickly jerked his head forward as the air escaped his lungs and the pain of the impact took its place. His eyes caught sight of Leonardo with the same expression as Donatello.

"w.....wh....why did...." Raph gasped as he felt his legs go numb as Donatello released him and let his limp body fall to the ground.

Raphael grabbed his stomach and clutched it in anger as his eyes watered every so slightly from pain. He slowly looked at Leo, waiting for his explanation. Leonardo delivered.

"How dare you call yourself a ninja...."

At these words, Michelangelo snapped back up. He looked at Leonardo, who stood with his back to him just a few feet away and Donatello in back of Raphael.

"...how dare you call yourself our brother...." Leonardo finished with a tone that was oddly calm and composed.

Michelangelo wouldn't hear any of that, and before he could think, he felt the words rushing to his lips.

"STOP!!!!!!!!"

Leonardo blinked and, the unknown expression leaving his face, turned to his youngest brother. Donatello quickly looked up and, the expression also leaving his face, starred at him as well. Raphael, who had been slowly getting up, stopped half way to hear what his youngest brother had to say.

Michelangelo felt something strange rise in him. Something that stopped all his thoughts of the words he wanted to speak. He felt the air sucked away from him and his body go strangely numb. Something wrapped tightly around him, as if strings were attached to his body and they were suddenly being pulled. It's as if his body wasn't allowing him to say the words he intended to say. He drifted his head down and smiled. Why couldn't he do this? What was stopping him from saying what he wanted to say?

....it was...

He laughed, lifted his head, smiled at his brothers, and lifted up in his hand as if to wave off the whole event.

"You guys! Don't do this! It was my fault anyway...." He didn't open his eyes; he didn't want to see their faces. He felt that he had to keep them closed, for opening them would open up something else he wanted to keep deep inside.

"Michelangelo...." Leonardo began, but was quickly stopped as his brother bent down and began to gently pick up the pieces to his destroyed sketchbook.

"Really, it's okay. It's not Raph's fault. It's my fault. He's right. He's right about a lot of that stuff. This sketch book was distracting me...."

He picked up the remaining pieces and looked down at them. Absentmindedly, he placed them on the coffee table and stood back up with his eyes closed to his brothers.

"...I guess it's better that it's gone! Right guys?" he felt himself slowly inching away from them.

"Mikey, you know that's..." Don began, but was also cut off by his brother.

"...I guess I needed that thing gone. I can focus on my training and stuff...Ummm..." he suddenly felt the large lump forming back into his throat. "...I think I need some air. You guys want anything from the surface?..." without waiting for them to answer, he started off. Not running, but in a heightened pace.

Donatello reached out and tried to call his brother back, but found that he was too chocked up to find his voice.

Michelangelo walked until his felt the presence of his master up ahead, and stopped when he was next to him.

"Hey Master Splinter!" He tried to exclaim in the most cheerful voice he could muster.

"Michelangelo..." he could feel his son's pain and was almost brought to tears by his son's inability to be angry for the injustice that had been placed upon him; Michelangelo simply loved his brothers too much.

And with a turn of his head and a slow opening and closing of the door, Michelangelo was gone.

Even after he was gone, there was a eerie air that lurked about the room and everyone's eyes laid fixed upon the door, as if any moment now he would return into the room and shed tears of sadness and cry out in a loud voice for what had happened, but it never happened. After a long time of silence and waiting, Splinter was the first to break the silence with a long sigh and a turning gaze to Raphael.

Raphael had watched the event in silence, his left hand still gently placed upon his stomach. He wasn't sure how to react and didn't know how to respond to his brothers' "happy" exit.

When he noticed Splinter staring at him, he felt his heart twist worse then it already was. It wasn't a look of anger or disgust, but one of pure sadness. As if he was expressing Mikey's sadness for him.

With a slow turn, Master Splinter turned and entered his quarters once again. He simply was too saddened to speak with his son at the moment.

Leonardo and Donatello were also too upset to argue with their brother and simply walked away and towards their designated rooms, both peering at the door as they passed it in the hopes that Michelangelo would open it at that moment and cry upon their shoulders. Unfortunately it didn't occur, and Donatello and Leonardo slowly trudged to their rooms and closed the door quietly.

And then there was Raphael.

Michelangelo walked along with his head lowered in contemplative thought, but as his thoughts became more enraged, he felt his feet becoming more and more quickened. It was slow, but steady. His thoughts were growing more and more depressing and desperate, and as they did his pace became more and more quickened. He was soon flying full speed down the sewer pipes, flying further and further away from his home.

Raphael felt his legs turn back into jelly and he upon his knees. As he did so, there was a loud thud and the surrounding objects shook a bit from the impact of his fall. The table shook enough that the light pieces of torn paper were gently lifted into the air and floated gently in front of him upon the floor.

Michelangelo couldn't tell how long he had been running for, and didn't know when he would stopped, but just knew that he wanted to keep going and that the destination didn't matter. He's feet were cut from shards of broken bottle glass that he carelessly stepped on and his eyes were misty from the air that circled around him. He needed to get out. Out. Out from here. Away from this.

Raphael slowly and with quivering hands picked up the pieces of Michelangelo's torn dreams and the dawning realization of what he had down was slowly setting upon him. He was putting the pictures together in his mind and saw why his brother treasured this so and as more and more pictures from his brothers soul came into view in his mind the more the sadness began to grip him.

Michelangelo continued still as his feet bleed a trail along the way. His limbs were tried, his head was swirling with thoughts and emotions, but one thought drove him on. He had to get away, he had to get away ...... far away.

Soon he found himself coming up upon a dim and distant light. He didn't bother to think what it was; all he knew was that he had to keep going.

Then the light of the moon rushed upon him and he came to a quick and hastened halt. He was at the end of the tunnel. He was overtopping a large and open field filled with, strangely enough, wild flowers that basked brilliantly in the moonlight. Far in the distance was the city; far away were the people they so feared, the people they hide their faces and existence from.

He was tired of running

Tried of hiding.

The world was just as much his as it was the humans.

He wanted to be free.

Free from the sewers.

Free from the people.

Free from the pain.

Free.

Free.

FREE!

The thoughts overwhelmed his head and he suddenly felt like he was going to burst and something took hold of him that he couldn't explain. For so long he had never showed his emotions. He was the clown who hid behind the painted mask. He wanted to tear the mask off. He felt his hands reaching for his bandana and he began to unconsciously try to tear it off his head as he fell to his knees. He was hiding. All the time hiding. From the world, from the people, from....his brothers...

Finally the bandana broke and his hand fell to his knees and with the "painted mask" off, he lifted his head and let out a cry. The cry echoed throughout the fields of wild flowers, through the sewers, and through the city. The tears poured out from his eyes and the harder he struggled to regain control, the harder it was to stop. He tried to grin his teeth together, but this only enabled his breathing and made it even harder to stop. The liquid that poured from his eyes fell like large droplets upon the ground and when he shook his head uncontrollable, the concentrated liquid sadness flew and sprinkled upon the flowers below. The flowers sprinkled as the moonlight shined upon the newly watered buds.

And Michelangelo continued still.

The tears pouring from his eyes.

This wasn't about the sketchbook.

This was about his feelings,

his dreams,

and the part of the soul that had been broken.

He suddenly wanted freedom more then he could bare and the thought that he couldn't have it drove him deeper into despair.

He wouldn't have this. The world truly was just as much his as anyone else's.

He felt himself slowly stand and take a step into the moonlight.

He had done this so many times before while coming above ground from underneath the city, but this time was different.

The moon light feel upon his shoulders and the wind blew against his reptilian skin. It was fresh, new and foreign. The flowers blew and tried so hard to touch this new and unique creature.

He stood there for what felt like forever. Basking in the moonlight, the tears still pouring down his face. In that moment, nothing mattered. Not the fact that he may be spotted, not the dangers that could be around, nothing mattered. All that mattered was at that moment, he felt....free.

He felt his arms being lifted up mysteriously, but he was unconsciously spreading his arms out, as if wanting to bask as much of the moonlight as possible.

The moon answered his prayers and shone more brilliantly then it had in a long time. The stars too, shined extra brilliantly, and the clouds responded by parting away and letting the sliver streams of light sparkle down.

Michelangelo wanted one thing, just one thing. He repeated this thing, over and over again in his mind until his voice caught on and spoke it aloud.

"...I..."

The clouds circled around him, but still the moon shone brilliantly upon his body.

"...Want..."

The stars shone and began to dance across the sky.

"...To be..."

As fast as lighting, something griped the hearts of the brothers Raphael, Leonardo, Donatello, and their Master, Splinter. From each position they were in, they immediately bolted up. This feeling was wrong, and they knew it. It grasped their souls quickly and left just as quickly as it came, leaving a feeling of horror and panic in it's place.

Alone in the living room, Raphael spoke the words on everyone's lips.

"....Michelangelo?..."

The flowers blew wildly in the wind, until their very petals began to break off and dance around Michelangelo. Something was happening, and even he knew so, but it didn't matter, for at that moment, he felt that he was being lifted up and believed that whatever he wished for at that moment, would truly come true.

He then spoke the words that finished his prayer to the higher beings above.

"...free..."

And with this he suddenly felt the warm lift from his toes through his body and out through his forehead. His tears instantly stopped and all that was left was the small traces of the liquid trail from his outburst. His hand gently opened and a small orange tattered object left his hand with a gentle brush of the wind.

His body stumbled and began to fall onto his shell, the grass and flowers doing their past to soften the landing.

The petals that were dancing about in the wind suddenly stopped and fell upon his fallen body. The clouds came and covered the brilliant moon and all was as it was once more.

The small tattered pieces of cloth flew in the wind and flew away.

It was his painted mask.

End of Chapter 1

Okay, I know this was kind of dramatic, but it's really supposed to be. And NO! Mikey isn't dead....or is he?

HA! Not telling, you'll have to wait to find out.

Hope you enjoyed it everyone x3


	2. Chapter 2

Dear Readers,

I decided that since I had this flow of ideas and what not going on that I should write the second chapter as soon as possible so as not to forget the ideas that are floating about my brain. I don't know yet the kind of response I'll get from the first chapter, but hopefully it's a good one and one that will make this chapter worth writing.

Enjoy everyone!

.: KareBear :.

"Stuck in the Middle with You"

Chapter 2

He had, had his eyes closed for so long that he didn't know if he was dreaming or awake anymore. He knew what had happened a few moments ago. He knew that something large and heavy had broken off and had dropped off his shoulders. As if the very weight of the world had dropped from his shoulders. He now felt lit as air, his body in a state of complete relaxation. He felt strangely warm and tingly. The best way to describe it was as if his body was a flame, a warm and strange flame. He felt his very being rise up at points and break away like a slowly burning flame. He didn't want to open his eyes for fear that this would all go away, but after a few minutes he ventured to try and open his eyes. A brilliant crystal blue, blinding white, and clear flied his eyes as he looked at his body for the first time. His body no longer gave the appearance of a turtle, but it wasn't necessarily the shape of a human either. He could see his legs, his hands, his body, and he touched his face. Strangely he didn't feel fear as he saw himself shinning a brilliant blue and moved at if it was a slowly burning flame. For some reason, this all felt very natural. However, after he was finished examining himself, something did strike him. He had caught a glimpse of his surroundings and noticed that he was about two stories high in the air; floating above in the skies as if a leaf in the wind. He looked around in amazement at the landscape around him. The world had suddenly looked more beautiful then it had in such a long time, even the city shone brilliantly in the moonlight. His eyes gazed all around the area until his gaze fell upon a form that was lying in the midst of a field of flowers. He felt compelled to see what the form was, and before he knew it, he was gently floating down towards the body until he was just a few inches away from it.

What he saw, oddly enough, didn't come as too much of a shock.

It was his body, lying peacefully among the flowers of the field. It seemed like the body was only sleeping peacefully among the buds and tall grass, and as he went to touch his body, he suddenly was compelled to stop. His body was slowly being pulled upwards, but he had no desire to resist it. His hand still outreached as to touch his body left behind, he was carried off into the skies above. He starred at his body till it became out of sight, and after some time a white light took hold of him, he closed his eyes, and knew he was leaving.

Leonardo quickly threw open the door of his room and looked around till his eyes fell to his younger brother looking up in the same panic way he had just a few moments before.

"You....you felt..." Leonardo began to say to his brother from the level just above him, when he heard the doors of Donatello and his Master swing quickly open. Donatello searched frantically with his eyes, till he caught his brothers just a few feet away from him. He ran to Leonardo's side and took his shoulders.

"You felt that, didn't you?!?! Didn't you?!?!" he exclaimed in a panic tone.

Before Leonardo could respond, Splinter walked over and placed his hand gently on his sons shoulder.

"We all felt it, Donatello." He said soothingly.

Donatello slowly released his brother from his grasp and turned to his sensei.

"But...what does it mean?..." he asked in a half worried, half hopefully tone.

His master grew quiet in thought for a moment, and this worried the three brothers. When he looked up at them again, he realized the panic in their expression, but in actuality, he was just as worried as the rest of them.

"I don't know, my sons, but...I fear that something may have happened to your brother."

It was the thought in each turtles mind, but not one wanted to believe it. If the sensation that had felt was one from their brother, then the only thing that could have happened was...

"We have to go looking for him!" Leonardo declared. He would not let this outcome that swept across his mind present itself. He was the leader, the older brother; he couldn't let that option be a possibility.

Donatello nodded and gave the expression of a determined individual that would stop at nothing till his brother was safely retrieved.

"I'm not coming back till I find him..." he stated just enough so that they all heard it.

"None of us will..."

They turned to the son who was on the lower level. It was the first time he had spoken in what felt like forever. Master Splintered stared into his eyes as if he was searching his soul for answers. After a while Splinter nodded.

"Go my sons, bring your brother back....I only pray that you will retrieve him safely..." he paused for a moment and bowed his head. After a few moments he raised it again and spoke to his sons once more. "...I will try to find Michelangelo through my meditation. Go quickly my sons!"

Without another word, each had grabbed their designated weapon and turtle cell-shell's and was off in different directions down the sewers.

Michelangelo slowly stirred and went to open his eyes. Was all that just a dream?? No, it was too real to be just a fantasy his mind concocted. As he opened his eyes, his sight confirmed that he had not been dreaming, as he opened his eyes to the planet earth write in front of his. He suddenly became nervous, and panic gripped his soul once again. What was he doing up here?? How did he get here?? Wasn't space a vacuum? Why wasn't he dead?!?

He felt warmth suddenly start to rise upon his back, and he slowly turned and starred in utter amazement. The stars shot like diamonds across the sky, the moon passed by him quickly, and the sun spun. It was as if time was out of control and the days and nights were passing like grains of sand in an hourglass. This, however, wasn't what left him in a state of shock and amazement. He wasn't starring at the passing stars or the spinning Earth, but the single holy and utterly beautiful looking figure that stood just a few feet away from him. The being was just as he was, a flame of blue and crystal and had the barely made figure of a human woman, but she was larger and shone more brilliantly then the sun itself. This however, didn't hinder him from starring at her for sometime. He felt her look at him and exam his figure. Once she was finished, he felt her smile at him. I say felt, because it was a sensation Mikey got that coursed all through out him, and she didn't seem to be able to speak. It seemed that her expressions could change the very way he felt inside and out.

She slowly floated over to his blue and crystal form and stood a little less then a foot from her.

He gathered up his courage to speak to her after he felt her smile at him, but realized that he too couldn't speak. His voice was gone and he touched his throat in disbelief. The woman smiled at him and extended a hand to touch the hand that was holding the part of him that would be his throat. As he looked up from his thoughts, she spoke to him, through his mind and straight into the rest of his soul.

After her words, he felt strangely calm and relaxed and dropped his hand. She lifted her hand and touched his cheek close to where his mortal eyes would have been. She gently slides her finger across his face and he felt a tiny cold liquid come off his body and placed in her hands. She slowly retracted and held the liquid close to her heart and clasped it tightly with both her hands. He suddenly had felt that she was sad, and he too became saddened. He mentally asked her what was wrong. She looked up at her, and with her free hand, reached out and cupped her hand around where his heart would be.

He heard one word in his mind and it seemed to echo throughout his entire being.

"Broken"

Leonardo had taken to the rooftops of the dark and light deprived New York City. He scouted the air and his eyes searched frantically for any sign of his youngest brother. When finding no trace of him in one area, he move on, feeling a little more of his hope slips away from him.

Donatello had taken to the sewers, and was combing every pipe and tunnel he could find. He had already contacted Casey and April who were out combing the open parts of the city the boys couldn't set foot. Donatello had mapped out his route and every time he x'ed out another area on his map, he felt his hope slowly slip away from him.

Raphael had taken to the streets and searched every dark alleyway and crime hangout he could, but to no avail. He felt his hope also slipping away with each failure to produce any clues to his brothers whereabouts, but each time would shake his head and keep on going. He didn't want to lose faith in his brother; he didn't want to think about what might have happened. All the while he ran and searched, he prayed for his brothers return.

"....Michelangelo..." he whispered to himself as he ran to another part of the city.

Splinter searched the astral planes through his meditation, but could not find him. He was either being blocked from all forms of mental communication or he was no longer able to connect to....

He wouldn't take that for an answer and continued his search along the astral plane.

Michelangelo starred long and hard at his chest after the woman had removed her cupped hand.

It truly was broken, literarily!

It seemed like his flame form suddenly became hard around the area just before his heart. This placed around his heart was chipped and cracked and a strange white mist like that of dried ice poured out from it. As strange as this was of a site, Michelangelo wasn't frightened by his appearance for he knew it was already there long before he had spoken to the woman. There was a sudden cracking noise and he quickly jerked his thoughts back to reality to see a piece of himself brake off around his heart and begin to fall only to burn itself out like a flame burning itself out on a wick. The piece that had broken off had made the hole grow a little wider; letting more of the white mists escape him.

The woman lowered her head and the sadness Michelangelo felt continued still.

He mentally implored the woman to tell him what was happening. He wasn't afraid or anger, he just had the need to know why his heart of all places was beginning to crumble.

There was a long pause and the woman looked back up at him.

She told him what was happening to him and inside he felt a piece of himself grow dark and cold.

His souls truly was breaking....the white mist was his very existence...and soon it would pour out of him and he would be lost to the cosmos.

Michelangelo felt himself slipping away, slipping away from reality, and just as another piece was going to break away, she gently grabbed his head and brought him back.

She confronted him with these words.

"Do not lose faith, my child. For once our journey is complete you will guide yourself with angels wings. You are the only one who can save yourself from losing yourself to the darkness that wishes to take you into oblivion."

Michelangelo let her words penetrate his spirit and he felt a little better just by her words. The woman smiled at his slowly renewing faith. She took a few steps back and lifted up her hands that had taken the liquid from his face. He opened her hands to show a crystal water droplet. It floated a little in the air and as she quickly took her hand away from underneath it she seemed to cry to him.

"Do not lose faith! Guide yourself to the light of the living!"

And with that the crystal droplet fell and instantly there was a giant water ripple and before he could blink, the surrounding area was being flooded with water. He closed his eyes and covered his head so as to protect himself, but when he was completely submerged in the water, he quickly opened his eyes to see that the woman was gone...

...and he was underwater in a vast and brilliant ocean.

End of Chapter 2

Short chapter, but it seemed like a good place to stop.

Yes, this is a spiritual journey and it will have many places for symbolism (I kinda think this chapter alone has a lot of that). Don't worry though; I will get the rest of the gang moving along. I have plans for those guys insert evil laugh here.

Just a note that I wanted to make, this story is not meant to be religiously convicting at all. I didn't base Michelangelo's experiences off any religious beliefs. It's all comes from my own imagination in my big fat noggin laughs. It's kind of neat though, making up this astral experience as I go. I have to say, I had a little help. As I type I listen to the same 6 or 7 inspiration songs and let the songs do most of the work. Classical, African, Asian, and all sorts of music I listen to. Some with words, others without.

I'm getting off topic here. Just wanted to make the note that if for any reason you are angry about my expression of astral experiences, death, and other things religion touches upon, I'm sorry and that this is meant to be purely a creative piece.

Hope you all enjoyed!


	3. Chapter 3

Dear Readers,

I wanted to thank everyone for the awesome comments I got on the first chapter. They were truly awesome! I honestly didn't think I was going to get such a response. I'm so excited!

However, I just posted my second chapter a few minutes ago and I'm a bit worried about the response I'll get. Please continue reading, I promise I won't disappoint you guys (or I won't try to, anyway).

Here comes chapter three just for you!

.: KareBear :.

"Stuck in the Middle with You"

Chapter 3

The night air of New York City was filled with dust, debris, trash and other assorted polluting objects. However, this was all common to this city. What made this night so unusual was how cold and thin the air was. It was the middle of late spring, early summer and normally the air were warm and comfortable to be surrounded by. Strangely, tonight it was almost unbearable, especially to the three cold-blooded reptilians that were scowling the dark city in search of their youngest brother.

The air was not the only thing on everyone's minds. There was also the time frame to think about.

The fight between the two brothers took place at about 10:30 and lasted till about 10:45.

Michelangelo had been gone about thirty minutes, when the three brothers and their sensei literarily sensed that something was wrong.   
At around 10:50 they had left and begun their search through the city.Now the thing that was tugging on everyone's brains was that it was now 1:45am. It had been approximately 2 hours and 55 minutes since they began without a single lead or clue to where he might be.   
What could have possibly happened in 30 minutes that could make it impossible to track down a single clue to Mikey's whereabouts?

Michelangelo floated in the water for some time, his eyes peering all around him in search of the woman he had been speaking to just a few moments ago. There was no sign of her, or anything else for that matter. The ocean was completely clear of all life and the water itself was a beautiful crystal blue. The water was the purest water he had ever seen, let alone swim in. This also steamed from the fact that he had been living in New York City his whole life and the cleanest water he saw came from April's faucet.

He then realized the obvious.

He was underwater....

...he needed air!!

With this realized, he made a desperate try to get to the surface. His arms stroke against the water with speed and strength unknown, and though normally this would be enough to get him to the surface in no time, it seemed the harder he tried to break to the surface, the further he dropped. Deeper and deeper into the sea he fell, as if he was stroking backwards.

He felt the air slipping away from him faster and faster, and with each precious breath of air he lost, the faster he tried to escape the water that surrounded.

After a few more moments, it was over.

The last bit of oxygen left his lungs.

He felt his eyes grow heavy and tried as his mouth opened and water filled his lungs.

As he closed his eyes, he felt himself rising up.

One lonely looking man, hidden in shadows, and obviously bored, twirled one of his ninja stars around and found himself occasionally yawning.

Suddenly, as quick as a flash, a streak of green came by and went away just as quickly. The ninja stopped his twirling in shock, and before he realized it, had dropped his ninja star.

Upon impact with the cold cement, it clacked and spun till it finally came to a silent stop.

The man became instantly worried and hide himself deeper into the shadows. The green streak returned within just a few moments, and began to cautiously peer around the "empty" ally way. He sniffed the air little a wolf on the prowl and his feet barely touched the ground, let alone make a noise.

The man became worried as he heard the creatures breathing become louder and louder, meaning that he was closing in on his location.

Just as he thought he saw a green hand approach his hiding spot...

"Raph! Raph! Come in, over!"

The hand jerked to a halt and retracted. The man mentally prayed a thank you to the person on the other end of that communicator.

"What is it Don? You got something?"

The voice sounded just a few inches away from his hiding spot. It took everything in his power to stop himself from shaking. Normally, he could take a person down, no problem. However, he had heard about these reptilian creatures of the night, and was told not to encounter them alone.

"I was gonna ask you the same thing." Donatello replied in a disappointing tone.

There was a moment of silence before Raphael responded.

"Hey Don?" he began in a much quieter tone.

"Yea, Raph?"

"Is....this line closed?"

"Yea Raph. No one can hear you, but me. What's up?"

"What..." he began meekly "...what do you think happened to Mikey?..."

"I....I can't be sure Raph. Let's just hope he's okay."

"Yea....this is Raph, over and out."

"Over and out"

With that and a few heavy footsteps, and the green reptile was gone. The man waited a few moments before quietly coming out from his hiding place. With this newfound knowledge, he knew his master would be very pleased with him.

As quick as lighting, he jumped to the rooftop and was off in the direction of a large building that looked like something straight out of Japan.

Michelangelo slowly opened his eyes and peered about. He was still underwater in the same crystal ocean. However, oxygen had been given to him once again and he was in the same place he first started out in.

How could this be?

Did he make it to the surface after all?

Questions ran through his mind, but before he could answer them, he began to feel the air slipping away from once again.

He began to stroke his way to the surface, but before he could begin, something in the distance caught his eyes.

It was tiny, dark blue blur that seemed to be coming closer to him. He squinted his eyes and tried to deceiver what exactly he was looking at. Whatever it was, it was the first sign of life he had seen, and he was hoping it could somehow help him escape the depths of this sea and into the sunlight that shined from the top of the water and fell elegantly on his shoulders.

The blue blur continued still and in only a short amount of time, he could see what it was. He wanted to gasp, but he feared he would let his little precious oxygen escape from him, so suppressed the urge.

The creature was a giant sea turtle.

It swam with top speed till it came about 5 feet in front of him and began to slow down. It was the most majestic looking creature he had ever seen. Large and power, with eyes, as the creature grew close to his side and peered at him, that showed the wisdom of a thousand years.

Michelangelo felt calm as he looked in his eyes, but before long became panicked again as he began to feel the oxygen escaping him.

He went to stroke, when a powerful voice called to him.

"Trust"

Michelangelo stopped and looked at the giant sea turtle, who stared deep into his eyes.

"Trust....you must learn Trust."

Michelangelo started to become nervous, but tried to remain as calm as he possibly could.

"Trust? How? Who do I trust? How is that going to help me now??" he mentally implored the sea creature

The sea turtle flipped its flippers about in an elegant motion and stared back into Michelangelo eyes.

"Trust natures course. Trust others, but must of all, trust yourself."

Michelangelo was silent and began to feel himself losing his conscious to the lack of oxygen, but he hung to the sea turtles words.

"If you can not trust the ones you love to yourself, then you will continue to sink into oblivion."

Michelangelo stopped struggling and felt himself fall. He didn't trust the ones he loved? Did that mean he didn't trust his own family? How could he say that? He loved his family so much! They did have his trust...didn't they?

Then it dawned on him.

It wasn't that he didn't trust his family and the dissuasions they made. He didn't trust his family with showing them his true self. He didn't trust them with the truth about himself.

Just then a powerful current came up from behind him and he felt his body lunge back upwards, back up toward the light and the giant sea turtle. With the current, he felt his lungs fill with oxygen so much that he had to open his mouth and release some of it.

The current eventually calmed down and he gently floated back next to the turtle.

The turtle seemed to smile at him and spoke happily.

"You understand now, correct?"

Michelangelo thought for a moment and nodded.

"The first step to salvation and overcoming obstacles is to realize ones faults. Trust is something you have always struggled with, like this water that surrounds you."

Michelangelo looked around. The water was pure and clean....just like trust should be.

The turtle continued.

"The air in your lungs is the faith you have in that trust. As long as you trust others and yourself your lungs and heart will always be full."

Michelangelo smiled, he knew he was right....but would he be able to trust?

The old sea turtle seemed to hear his secret thoughts and smiled.

"Trust takes time to build, but a few seconds to destroy. However, as long as you have faith in that trust, it can always be rebuilt and every time it is rebuilt, it is stronger then it was before because it is fortified with love."

Before Michelangelo could respond, the turtle flipped his giant flippers for arms. The water twirled and spun around them. The current he had felt pull him up from the depths of distrust began to push him forward with great speed. Together, he and the sea turtle were off. Flying though the ocean with speed unknown. Michelangelo, at first frightened by this sudden change in pace, soon became excited by this wonderful experience. He felt as if he was soaring the skies and felt the excitement boiling inside of him. He gave a loud cry and the oxygen that was in his lungs came flying out. He became a little nervous at first to the lose of oxygen, but like the sea turtle had said, his faith in the sea turtle was rewarded with more air. He laughed happily and cried out as ocean life started to form below him. Creatures and plants of all sizes began to form around him. Soon he looked over and he saw that some creatures, mostly majestic looking dolphins and other smaller sea turtles, were trying their best to keep pace with the two speed demons of the water. He laughed in delight as he reached over and petted the smooth gray skin of a nearby dolphin. This was the most amazing experience he had ever had.

The old turtle smiled at him and began to slowly decrease in speed.

The other sea creatures noticed this and did the same.

However, Michelangelo was still continuing at his same high pace and when he noticed the sea turtle now far behind him, he tried to paddle back, as if something was wrong.

The sea turtle smiled and spoke to him aloud.

"Continue forth to the next stage, my child, and remember the lesson of trust and your own trust."

Michelangelo slowly stopped paddling and closed his eyes as the current slowly swept him away. As he flew farther and farther away by the current that took him wherever it pleased, a small piece of his of his soul seemed to reform around a small portion of his heart and stop the flow of a small amount of his white mist from escaping.

"And you say that they are in search of their own brethren?"

"From what it sounds like Master, he has been gone for quite sometime. The turtles seem to be in search of him, but have come up empty handed."

The flickering candles of a barely lightened room danced in the slightly strong wind that swept calmly throughout the large open room. From the appearance of fabulous draperies, magnificent swords that hung on the walls, and the alter that stood in the front; this seemed to be the throne room of a rather wealthy Japanese lord. However, this lord was not in Japan, but rather in the grungy city of New York. His title of Lord was yet to be achieved, all due to the meddling reptilians that thwarted his plans every time.

The strong man sat himself on the soft with his back perfectly straight, and his hands clutched tightly together. He starred for a long while at his devoted ninja, who had been on watch on the east side of the city when he happened to over hear a conversation between two of his reptilian foes. He smiled to himself and turned to his right, where his faithful commander was awaiting orders.

"Assemble the forces, Hun. Tonight we strike."

Michelangelo's fall to the ground with a rather soft impact.

He barely remembered how he had gotten where he was and looked around his surroundings.

He remembered being swept away in a strong, yet gently current. Gradually, he remembered the water slowly turning to air. Suddenly he felt light shine upon him, and as he quickly opened his eyes, he found that the current of water was now air. He was now falling, but the current of air didn't let up. It gentle guided him down and released him from its grasp with barely a thump.

The air circled him a bit, he laughed a bit as it tickled him and left to explore the world around him.

He was in a valley. A valley filled with a beautiful arrangement of flowers. The air smelled sweet with the assorted buds, and crisp from the Snowcap Mountains not too far in the distance. The sun was shining in all it's wonderful glory and the clouds gently passed by with the warm winds that swept over the land.

He felt like he was in paradise.

For the first time in his life, he was out in the open with no fear or anxiety to hold him back. He was able to enjoy the beautiful sunlight for all its glorious majesty.

He inhaled a deep breath and as he exhaled, he let gravity take over as he fell onto his back.

He closed his eyes and let himself soak in as much sunshine he possible could.

In the distance, he could have sworn he heard the call of a hawk or eagle.

Suddenly he felt the presence of another being, and bolted up.

His eyes darted about until he found himself starring eye to eye with a large golden eagle. He felt himself leap a bit and back a few inches away, seeing how close the creature was to his face.

The creature didn't flinch even after Michelangelo's sudden movements, and began to peak at the ground and cock its head about, looking here and there at nothing in particular.

Michelangelo stared at the creature for sometime, before venturing to lift a hand and see if he could pet it. The bird suddenly starred right at his eyes. Michelangelo halted his hand and looked at him with a hint of fear in his eyes.

"Nice, birdie...."

He tried to venture a little closer with his hand, but upon seeing his hand come closer the bird flapped his large golden wings and took flight. Mikey cringed and looked up after the bird had taken flight.

He stood and watched the bird circle overhead, taking a hand to his forehead in order to shield the brilliant sun and to see the creature better.

After sometime the bird called to him and Michelangelo was taken back.

The bird spoke but one word, just as the old sea turtle had.

"Truth"

End of Chapter 3

WOO! Things are building up on both ends!

It seems some nasty guys have found out about the turtles predicament, three guess who they are and the first two don't count.

Michelangelo still seems to be in his astral limbo, but what will happen to his body and the rest of turtles back in the mortal plane??

Find out next time!

(And thanks a bunch for reading this far guys. Hope you all like it!)


	4. Chapter 4

Dear Readers,

Hey everyone! WOW! I can't thank you guys enough for the responses I've been getting on this story. It's really awesome. I just hope I continue getting the approval of all you guys.

I just wanted to let you guys know that I won't always be able to post on such a frequent bases. I really wish I could, but I go to school and my school is all:

"WHAT?? You want to have free time??" Never!"

The reason I was able to have so many chapters up in such a sort amount of time is because I wrote them through out the weekend.

Sorry in advance!

Here's the next chapter for you!

.: KareBear :.

"Stuck in the Middle with You"

Chapter 4

"Any luck, Leo?"

"Nothing yet, Don. You?"

"Nothing down here...Leo, I'm getting really worried. It's been WAY too long for Mikey to be out. I've tried his cell-shell a thousands times, and I'm still getting nothing!"

"Is there any way to track the cell-shell?"

"Tried and that's just what makes me even MORE worried."

"Why?"

"Cause every time I think I'm getting close to him, the signal switches to someplace in the opposite direction I was going!"

"How....is that possible, Don?"

"I really don't know Leo...it's like someone's toying with us so we don't find him..."

"Hmmm...." Momentary silence for contemplation "Keep looking Don, we gotta find him..."

"Roger. Over and out."

Leo stood up top of a long bridge extending to another part of New York not too far away. He closed the phone in his hands and starred at it for some time, his thoughts on other things. He recalled the many times he had scowled Mikey for being so childish. The many times he walked away from him when he could have made Mikey's day worth while by spending just a few moments with him.

He felt a sting inside his chest and wanted to cry; cry for all his faults and his overwhelming guilt. He remembered so many good times with his other brothers, but so few with Mikey. He thought it was just because they were so different in personality. He was the practical one, the leader, and the realist. Mikey was the radical one, the happy-go-lucky, and the dreamer. Now he knew better. A difference in personality wasn't an excuse to neglect ones own family.

He knew that now as he held the phone tightly in his hands.

"...We just have to find him."

He just hoped that this lesson wasn't a lesson learned too late.

With this he slipped the phone back inside his belt, and began his stealthy descent down off the cold steal bridge.

His eyes burned from the light of the distant star. The bird was merely a dark shadow, his golden body glistening at the edges so that he appeared to be a black pearl with gold trimmed edges.

The bird circled and glided in the air majestically as it spoke to Michelangelo in the same matter as all the other beings he had encountered on his adventure; telepathically.

"Truth..."

There was a momentary silence for Michelangelo to contemplate his words, but all he came up with was a big blank.

"What about it?" he called out to the eagle dumbfounded

The bird didn't answer and with a flap of its sparkling wings, some of its brilliant feathers flew off and began to slowly fall to the ground.

The feathers glistened and sparkled in the sunlight and slowly became golden dust. As the beautiful dust touched the ground, it instantly began to turn a dark and scary shade of black. It merged with a few other black pieces and grew into, what appeared to be, shadows of people.

Suddenly, red eyes flashed open from the shadows, and they began to lift themselves off the ground!

Michelangelo backed away in fright, but found he couldn't go too far as the shadows of men were behind him as well.

He doubled back and when he noticed he was surrounded by the dark shadows, he instinctively reached for his nun chucks. He became even more panic-stricken when he found that his weapons were no longer with him.

He heard the call of the eagle above, and looked up, hoping he could tell him what was happening.

The bird only flew up higher and let out a mighty cry that echoed out throughout the distant mountains and through the valley of flowers.

As if this was their cue, the shadows suddenly turned into solid looking men. They looked like ninjas of the night, with demon eyes glowing red.

Soon as blink and they all lunged at Michelangelo.

Michelangelo with a panic expression across his crystal blue face watched as the hundreds upon hundreds of ninjas began to descend upon him.

"Any sign, Scout 274?"

"No, East section 23B is secure sir."

"How about you, Scout 736?"

"I saw the reptile with the blue bandana pass by intersection 473, but nothing else to report, sir."

"Errr...this is taking too long. Parties, report!"

"Party A1, troops 1 through 50. Nothing to report on the East wing, sir, except the occasional spotting of one of the reptile."

"Party B1, troops 50 through 100. Nothing to report underground sir. We've spotted the reptile with the purple bandana several times, but otherwise, nothing to report."

"Party C1..."

"Enough! Unless you have the information we require, report nothing unless an emergency. I want this line clear, is that understood?"

"Yes, sir! Commander Hun!"

Hun closed his communicator shut, but as soon as he did, it began to ring. Out of frustration, he flung open the communicator and yelled into the receiver.

"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU..."

"HUN!" Hun immediately stopped mid-sentence. He could recognize that voice anywhere. "HUN! REPORT!"

"Please, excuse me Master" he said in a lower, more humble voice. "The parties have reported nothing of importance as of yet. Except for the occasional turtle sighting, nothing has been confirmed with the troops, Master."

"Do not return until you have results."

With that and the sound of a click, the communication line was cut.

Cold eyes glared at the servants that held the communicator for him. With a wave of his hand, the servants bowed humbly and quickly left.

A cold wind blew through the curtains and seemed to call to him.

He knew something had happened.

He could tell by how cold the night air was. The air that seemed to speak to him; the air seemed to tell him that this was the opportunity he was looking for.

He sat in silence and closed his eyes.

The cold winds seemed to be truly speaking to him.

"What is this feeling that calls to my soul?" he asked himself aloud.

The mind blew and tumbled violently around.

"Darkness...you are my ally...guide me and as long as I succeed in my quest, I shall do your will." He mentally spoke to the darkness around him.

And you know what?

It heard him.

The wind blew more violently, sweeping across the candles and taking them out with little effort. The wind blew across the room, and back out into the open.

The dark wind grew strong from the dark intents of the vicious man.

The wind swept high into the sky and took the clouds in its cold hands. It took the clouds and placed them over the only source of brilliant, yet wonderful light.

The moon.

Sweat poured from every fiber of his being.

Silly thing was, the only thing he could think of was:

"How does a soul sweat?"

He laughed, and in doing so caused a fit of coughs to ensue.

The shadow creatures were never ending; every time he seemed to defeat one, three more would take its place.

His body seemed to have become somewhat physical for the fight, which meant he could feel all physical pain. He felt every crushing blow to his body, and every kick to his limbs. The pain stung him and with every blow received, a new sudden and long sensation of something horrible coursed through his body. His sweat mixed with....blood?

It seemed to be blood, except that it was white.

He blinked the tears away from his eyes and jumped up into a hand stand and did a round house, taking out a few of the demon shadows. However, three times as many sprung from their places.

Michelangelo breathed in deeply, but with each breathe inhaled, he felt his lunges cringe in pain. With each exhale; he felt the pain reach out from his lunges to all parts of his body. His right eye twitched and refused to stay open, but still he remained in his fighting stance, even as another wave of ninjas swept over him.

He grabbed the first one and flung him into a group of ninjas to his right. He leaped up into the air and stomped on the man he had flung shoulders. He used his weight to push the man into the ground, and leap with full strength into the man in front of him. He gave him a couple of bunches in the jaw, before upper cutting him in the mouth. He used the same right arm to swing around and slam it into the throat of a nearby ninja. Grabbing the body he had just slammed his arm into for balance, he rose he left foot into the arm and slammed his foot into the forehead of another nearby ninja.

This group would be childs play....if they didn't keep multiplying like they did. For every man he took out, he was rewarded with three times as many ninjas to fight per fighter and a few blows to his slowly failing body.

He felt the sting of his new white blood and sweat come into his one good eye and from it, his vision was starting to fade.

He tried to blink it away, and shook his head in order to concentrate. His face was that of a mouse driven far into a corner.

Scared, but willing to fight in order to survive.

He quickly looked up into the sky, to see the eagle looking down at him with clear, deep eyes.

"Truth..." it spoke to him

"WHAT ABOUT TRUTH!?!?" he cried to the bird in anger for letting him suffer so much in order to learn a lesson.

....Chip....

He heard the ear piercing noise and felt something crack away.

He looked down and saw a piece of himself brake away from his heart, just as it did before. White mist slowly began to pour out and mix with his white blood.

"Why??" he thought to himself as he began to panic "Why is this happening to me?"

The ninjas closed in, eyes glowing red.

"Why is this happening to me?"

The bird starred at him from high above, the light flowing off it's extended wings.

"What is it about Truth that I have to learn!?!" he cried, closing his eyes and let the tears fling into the air as he cried to the bird above.

Just then the demons pounced, and there was darkness.

He had starred at the area for so long, that the sky above the land appeared to be fake.

Far in the distance was a land deprived of all moonlight. The sky seemed to move normally around it, the wind calmly pushing the clouds about, as it normally would, but in one particular spot, the clouds refused to move, depriving a certain area of land the beautiful moonbeams.

He starred at it from one of the rooftops in New York City, but couldn't understand why his gut and some unknown source (something told him that the outside sources was the cold wind around him), told him that there was where he would find the answers he was looking for.

After a while, he couldn't ignore his nagging mind anymore, and flipped up his communicator.

"Parties, stand by."

"Yes, sir?" he heard one of his soldiers respond.

"Has anyone checked out the fields about two miles off of highway 262?"

"No party has been sent there, sir. It's just outside the city limits."

"Who's the closest to that section?"

There were a few moments while the parties found out their exact positions.

"I believe we are, sir. Party 74F. We're on the East board extension."

"Party 74F, I believe we are a mile or so closer."

"What party are you and what is your position?"

"Party 62C. Were on five and Vine, about half a mile to the site, sir."

"Party 62C investigate the site. Party 74F, go and back them up. Understood?"

"Yes sir!"

There was a click and the communication line was cut.

Whatever was over in that foreboding place would be made known soon enough.

He felt his one eye sting as he tried to open it. His right eye absolutely refused to open, but his left eye, with a little bit of difficulty, finally agreed to open.

His eyes filled with fright as he looked around.

Hundreds upon hundreds, starring at him; red demon eyes.

These demon beings were all around him, holding him down to the ground, peering down him and making sure not one inch of his body could move.

He felt a few of them beating him from time to time, the pain not from physical blows, but by their very touch.

He looked all around, desperately trying to find the sun. The sun that the eagle had been flying under couldn't be seen.

He couldn't find the sun, nor the eagle that had spoke of Truth.

All around him was darkness, and the peering eyes of these demons.

He starred in despair into one of the eyes of the demon, as if mentally imploring the being to release him, when something came across his red eyes and flashed across Michelangelo's mind.

"_Mikey! Yo, Mikey! What are you doing?"_

"_Nothing..."_

"_You playing with those toys again, aren't you??"_

"_NO! I don't even like toys!"_

"_Good! Cause if you did, you be a little baby."_

He shook the memory violently away and turned his eyes to another one of the demons. He starred at his eyes as well, till another memory suddenly flashed across his mind.

"_Michelangelo! Are you reading your comics again??"_

"_Yea, but..."_

"_Come on Mikey, you have to grow up sometime..."_

He shook his head again, trying to shake away the hurtful memory that had been logged from the far corners of his mind.

He shut his eyes from the peering eyes that starred at him intently.

...What were these creatures that were able to uproot such painful memories?

"False."

Michelangelo immediately opened his eyes as he heard the voice. It was the voice of the eagle that had spoke "Truth" to him just a short while ago.

"False?" he called to the bird, in the hopes he would hear him under the pile of demons.

"They are the guise of the false and the lies in your heart."

Michelangelo had to think about this for a second, but even after some time, he was still couldn't understand what he had said.

"Look into their eyes. They reflect to you the guise of falsehood and lies you have told in order to cover up who you are."

"They're..." Michelangelo had to think about this carefully. "...my memories?"

"They're the memories of lies and times in which you had to hide yourself from others."

"But..." Michelangelo thought aloud. "...why would my own memories attack me?"

"Because to them, you are the truest form of your self they have ever encountered. Lies only exist to cover up the truth. The darkness of these lies attacks the purity that is truth."

This was all too deep for Michelangelo, and he tried to take a minute to comprehend. However, the voice interrupted his thoughts.

"The field that you saw represents your mind. Pure, innocent, and beautiful. The darkness started to form when you began to lie about yourself, in order to shield yourself away. The lies have fore filled their end of the bargain..."

"They have?"

"Yes...they are shielding the true you away from the world. However, is this the way you wish to live?"

"No..." he thought for a moment and smiled as he looked up "...no, it's not."

With that a few of the shadows released him and turned to dust.

"The truth will set you free, Michelangelo."

Michelangelo sighed to himself. He knew what the eagle meant now. He had been lying to others in order to shield himself away from the possible ridicule or misunderstanding nature. He hid himself behind his lies in order to stay safe.

Though it would hurt to show his true self to the world, it would better to be honest then live life as a hurtful lie.

As if on cue, the rest of the shadow demons began to slowly turn to dust and fall gently on the ground.

Mike slowly got up and propped himself with his arms as he watched the dust slowly evaporate into the air and disappear without a trace.

The eagle, which was still high above, cried out, catching Mikey's attention. The bird slowly descended down, taking a few extra flaps as it came close to the ground, and gently touched down.

Michelangelo looked at the bird that had just landed a few inches from his right hand. He slowly, so as not to scare the creature, sat up Indian style. The bird didn't flinch and starred at him with love in its clear eyes. Mikey thought he would try his luck just once more, and lifted his right hand. As the eagle saw him reach out to pet him, the eagle smiled and hopped over next to him.

Mikey pulled his hand back in surprise, but when he noticed that the eagle had bent down in order to be petted, he laughed out loud and happily petted him.

He smiled a bright smile and felt just like a child again as the sun healed his wounds, and the flowers scent calmed his spirit.

He felt free from the lies as the sun of his pure mind shone upon him.

"Party 62C, report!"

"Nothing, but flowers and grass, sir. Also it's so dark, that the team can't see an inch after their nose."

"Keep searching, and no flash lights! This needs to be as secretive as possible."

"Yes, sir."

Again the line was cut, and Hun began to worry if he would be scowled for wasting his time in an empty field.

Not too far away, deep underground in the dank sewers of New York City, a purple bandana-wearing turtles trudged along, hoping to find something. Anything that might help them find their missing brother.

He was following yet another faint signal of his brother's cell-shell, he had given up trying to call the phone an hour ago, and this was his last effort on following the signal. After this, he would have to go back to searching the tunnels one by one.

He sighed and lifted his head.

"This is ridiculous, how could the signal jump around like that??" Suddenly his thoughts diverted back to what was important. "Mikey....I hope you're okay. I thought I was gonna die when I got that....feeling...I can't imagine if...OW!!"

He quickly reverted back his thoughts to reality as his bare green feet stepped on something painful.

He moved his foot away and brought it close to his face. It was a tiny shard of glass. He quickly pulled out the shard and threw it far away. A small trickle of blood began to surface and he was going to ignore it as nothing, when something caught his eye.

He slowly knelt down in front of the glass.

It appeared to be a glass bottle that had been violently stepped on....causing whoever it was to step on it to bleed...the same color blood as his own...

His faced lighten up into a smile, his eyes almost brimming with tears.

"MICHELANGELO!" he cried as he fumbled for his communicator.

As he did so, he touched the blood. It was cold and hard, as if it was shed a few hours ago. He looked up and his eyes followed the blood trail that led far into the distance.

He looked into his communicator with excitement, and was rewarded with yet another response. Just as he looked at the faint signal of his brothers cell shell, it grew more intense, as if it was suddenly brought back to life.

He wasted no time; he quickly stood up and began to follow the trail of blood, as he paged the other communicators.

"GUYS, GUYS Pick up!"

"What is it Donatello, you found something?" Leo responded first as he leapt from rooftop to rooftop.

"Yea! Michelangelo's signal just suddenly started coming in as clear as a bell, and I have his trail!"

"Trail?? What do you mean, Don?" Raph asked as he lifted up a sewer cover and jumped down inside.

"It looks like he stepped on a large chuck of glass. He left a small, but noticeable trail behind."

"I just hope that's the only thing that's cut." Raph seemed to whisper into the phone.

"I hope so too, Raph." Leo commented as he hopped into another rooftop "What do you think could have made him run fast enough for him not to notice he was bleeding?"

"I....don't know Leo. Raph! Call Casey and April, tell them to met us back in the liar."

"No problem, over and out."

"Don, I've got your signal locked on my cell-shell and I see Mikeys. I'll be down there in a just a few."

"No problem, over and out."

"Over and out."

Leo was just about to hop to another rooftop, when he felt something. He quickly stopped just before making his leap. He slowly turned and looked toward the shadowed entrance behind a metal door.

He drew his swords as quick as a flash and starred intently at the spot.

After a moment or two of silence, there came a low chuckle.

From the shadows, emerged Hun.

"Your very skilled, I must say mutant."

"Cut the small talk, what are you doing here?" he said as he made a protective stance and unsheathed his swords and gripped them tightly in his hands.

"No reason. Is it enough if I said...I was enjoying the night air?"

"I highly doubt such things, coming from you Hun."

He chuckled a bit and took a few steps toward the reptilian warrior.

"I guess it's hard to believe coming from my mouth, but I speak no lies. I didn't even bring reinforcements."

"Then what ARE you doing here?"

"Would it be of any interest if I said....we were aiding you in your....search."

Michelangelo laughed as the bird sat happily on his shoulders. They had been walking together, taking in the sights of this beautiful land that flowed for as far as the eye could see.

"So...." Michelangelo asked the bird with a small "...this is my mind?"

"Yes it is" the bird mentally answered back "Your mind has never been polluted by greed, jealousy, or true anger. However, I have seen the lies and sadness occasional slink away into the shadows, but other then that, your mind is very pure Michelangelo."

"Will...will those lies and the sadness every go away?" he asked in a sad tone

The bird looked at him, and a few moments later, flapped his mighty golden wings and took flight high above.

This all startled Mikey, and he took a few steps back and looked into the sky.

The bird circled high above and spoke to him as he flew into the sunlight.

"The sadness will continue as long as you do not reveal truth. The truth will stay hidden as long as the lies continue. It will not ultimately end your sadness...but you will be at better peace with yourself by letting the truth breathe..."

Michelangelo followed him with his eyes until he was no longer visible due to the extreme light.

A flash of light suddenly shot into his eyes and he looked away, his eyes stinging ever so slightly.

He looked back and then looked all around him.

The place was entirely white and the ground was soft...too soft...

He looked down and saw that he was sinking like quick sand into the white.

He tried to scramble his way out, but remembered the words of the old sea turtle and closed his eyes, letting the sand lead devour him, taking him to his next venture.

Next thing he remembered was feeling very cold...

End of Chapter 4

Man, I have to say; writing these chapters is really not taking me as long as I thought it would Yay for me! Hope you all enjoyed. Please RR! 


	5. Chapter 5

Dear Readers,

WOW! I'm so sorry that it took me so long to update. It's all schools fault…I swear! TT. Unfortunately, because of school, there will only be a few chapters more in this story. No, I will not cut the content down, the chapters will be few, but almost ridiculously long, my apologies in advance for the extended amount of reading.

So, moving things along, on with the chapter! (finally xD)

.: KareBear :.

"Stuck in the Middle with You"

Chapter 5

It's hard to describe becoming frozen.

It's like plunging your bare arm into ice-cold water. At first you can't feel a thing, then quickly a burning sensation comes across your arm and spreads though your entire body. Burning with cold. Hard to describe and even harder to word. Your arm burns with the sensation of ice cold gripping your body, but your fear isn't in being cold…. it's how long your able to feel that cold…. how long your arm will be able to feel the cold before it starts to weaken.

His eyes were stinging from the piercing cuts of the blow zero winds. He was lying in a blanket of white and his body was cold, yet numb…

Numb…Numb! NO!

He quickly stood up and the blanket that neatly covered his body scattered away like dust in the wind. He curled his body and huddled for warmth. Once in his huddle he was able to open his eyes and peer at his paled skin….skin?

He was in his body again?

Or at least…it looked like his body…

He remembered how before he was able to feel the physical pain for the shadow warriors and how his body was hard and tough, but yet still colored and shaped like a soul. Now it seemed that his soul once again inhabited his body…or some form that looked very much like his own. He rubbed his arms frantically and could only hear the wind blowing from outside his huddled form and the sound of his teeth chattering. His breathe came out in fast little intervals as he breathed into his almost frost bitten hands. The warm air would come across his body for only a second before turning just as horribly cold as the rest of the air around him.

He knew that going numb was a sure sign of hypothermia and he needed to find shelter, fast! Especially seeing as he was a cold-blooded creature, he would surely sacrum to the cold much faster then a mammal. He ventured to take a peek outside his huddled form, and squinted as the wind made his eyes feel as if they would become frozen at any moment. He turned his head about, only to find…

"AH!"

He would have jumped back, but his body was just too cold to even move. His head jerked back slightly at the sight directly behind him….a large stallion only a few inches from his body.

The only way he found himself able to tell it was some kind of horse, was the shape of the animal. The ice, snow, and wind, made it almost impossible to make out the physical characteristics of the horse. All he could see was the darkened and shadowed form of the great steed standing about him, unflinching in the cold that wrapped his body like a thousand tiny wires, pulling all at once.

The horse nodded his head and Michelangelo did the same, he had come accustomed to these animals waiting for him. He knew his lesson was coming, but what lesson it was, he was not certain.

The horse turned and galloped a little ways away from him.

"Hey! Wait!" he called out in harsh voice. He quickly gripped his throat as the large amount ice air shot down into his lungs, making his body feel as if he needles were being sent throughout his blood stream.

The horse turned back to him and watched as the young turtle, tried with all his might to stand, only to just barely erect himself, his knees wobbling and looking as if they were going to give way any moment.

The horse bowed his head and looked at him.

"Love"

Mikey heard the word and knew that was his lesson, but didn't believe it. Love? Love was his lesson? He loved and cared for his family and friends more then anyone and HE was getting a lesson on LOVE?

For an instant, he forgot all about the cold, dropped his hands to his sides and looked at the horse stupefied.

"Love? My lesson is about love?"

The horse turned his body forward and looked onward.

"Follow and see for yourself, but heed my warning, if you stray or lose sight of me, you will be lost for all time."

And with that the horse began to gallop away.

"HEY! WAIT!" Mikey called as he watched him begin to gallop away. He quickly followed, his body not building up any more warmth from his walking unlike a mammal. His feet became more and more frozen as he made hard content with the white death.

And so he began to quickly make his way through the cold oblivion, this Dante's Inferno of hell.

* * *

"You want to help us do what!" 

"Aid you in your search, of course."

"How do…"

"Do we know that your brother is missing and you and your band of merry reptiles are scowling the city in search of him? Come now, do you honestly think we could miss three turtles searching about OUR city without one of us noticing?"

Drip

Drip

Drip, Drop

Small drips of water hit Leonardo's nose as he grunted and, gripping his swords tightly in his hands, made a lunge for Hun, he quickly darted away and made a hasty retreat, all the while calling to him.

"You may want to speed your efforts up, mutant. I promise you, if we find him, our master isn't going to be very accommodating."

With that he jumped down the side of a building. Leo ran over to confront him, but found he was gone.

Leo grunted in anger and, to release some of his rage, cut a nearby pipe in half and watched as the pieces dropped to the ground with a heavy clunk.

The water increased slightly, and Leonardo find himself looking toward the darkened sky; rain dripping gently off his head and down his body, but it wasn't the rain he was concerned about.

He shook the anger and the dark thoughts away, and started running in the direction of a nearby manhole. He grabbed his communicator as he jumped down the side of a building.

"I just hope I'm not too late…"

* * *

Just a little further. 

Why is it running so fast?

I can't keep up….my body freezing over…

Please wait up, please….

I can do this, I'm a ninja…

…but I'm also a cold-blooded animal, and even ninjas have their limits…

What sort of test of love is this anyway?

Just a little further…please let it just be a little further.

Michelangelo's mind raced with thoughts, and yet sometimes he found his mind becoming numb, just like the rest of his body. He would have to shake his head and continuing thinking in order to make sure that he wasn't succumbing to the cold.

Just as he saw himself slightly catching up, a light flickered out the corner of his right eye. He turned to it, remembering to keep walking so as to not lose the horse.

….a fire?….

A cave! He felt his heart suddenly leaped for joy as he spotted a small cave with a fire roaring in the inside. Warmth! It seemed so inviting and as he felt his body gradually turning for it, he turned his head to the horse….but saw he was much further ahead then before.

He wasn't heading for the cave.

The young turtle wanted to cry. There, RIGHT there, was a cave with shelter and warmth and this horse wanted to continue forward. However, fearing his warning, the turtle turned his feet and went back on track, peering sadly at the cave as he walked on past it and was soon out of sight.

* * *

"Don! Raph! Come in! Emergency!" 

Raphael, who was uptown and making his way towards Donatello, grabbed his communicator quickly as he ran and answered the call.

"Leo! What's the matter? You all right?"

"I'm fine, but Mikey may not be!"

Don was hot on the trail of Michelangelo, but heard the words exchanged between his two brothers and quickly picked up his shell cell.

"Why Leo? What's going on?"

"I had a run in with Hun and…"

"HUN!" Raph found himself yelling out of anger. "What did he want? You okay?"

"I'm fine, but he and the foot know Mikey's missing!"

"How…how could they have found out?" Donatello cried out in disbelieve

"I don't know, but they just do and for all they know, they could be just as close to finding him as we are."

"Let's hurry then. Over and out" and with that Donatello hung up his phone and found his heart beating a little faster, his feet moving a little quicker.

Without a word, Leo and Raph also hung up their phones and quickened there pace as well, down the darkened sewers, without the light of the once beautiful moon.

Above the surface, also covered in shadow by the darkened moon, a group of darkened figures made their way stealthily about the field. The flowers would wave violently about the fields before being crushed harshly by the footsteps of the dark figures.

"Party 62C, this is head officer of Party 74F, any signs of our target?"

One of the darkened figures took out a communicator and opened it up.

"No sign yet….is this line closed?"

"I believe so. Why do you ask solider?"

"Cause this is ridiculous! My men can't see a damn thing and the grass would make it near to impossible to find a green turtle…"

"Suck it up, we'll be there to help in a matter of moments. If the boss were to hear that, you would have worse things to worry about then finding some turtle in a field…"

"True. Over and out."

With this he clicked his communicator closed and roughly placed back in his belt. He scowled about at this horrible task he and his crew were placed upon. He tried to imagine the scenario of calling Hun and telling him they had found nothing, when his foot hit something hard.

He looked down and squinted his eyes in order to make out what he had just hit.

He tapped it lightly with his foot and then, very carefully, bent down to touch it.

His hand was touching….a hand….

Even through the dark mask, one could easily tell that a crocked smile had just spread widely across his face.

* * *

"Miles dost one keep, many miles till thy sleep. Miles dost one keep, many miles till thy sleep. Miles…" 

He felt his senses failing him gradually, his mind becoming more comfortably numb and his body crying out for rest. He tried his best to keep his mind on track by repeating a piece from a poem over and over to himself, but knew that the words were wrong. He then tried to figure out what the true words were, but then his mind would rambled off in a daze of unconstructive thoughts and drowsiness. It took a swift shake of his head and the continued repeating of the poem to keep him semi-sane.

His eyes burned with the cold air, and no longer could he make out the snow. All he saw was white and a small amount of shadow that lead him further into the distance; further into the unknown, to a destination not made clear…all for the sake of love.

Many a time he found places where he could have strayed. A cave with a warm fire, a small cabin with the aroma of hot cooked food pouring out from the tiny crack under the door, and even once and mysterious caravan with people with blankets and warm drinks to spare offered him passage the opposite way. Each offer was denied, especially the last one for, as much as it looked so inviting to be with company and warmth, he couldn't shake the feeling of discomfort at the fact that all their faces were shadowed.

He now continued on. His feet moving not by will power, but instinctively, like breathing.

Suddenly, he felt his right foot slip on a patch of ice and was sent tumbling to the left foot. His feet were pulled from under him and he saw himself falling. However, with all the energy used to walk, he could only watch as his body fell limply to the ground with a hard thud.

The snow lifted into the air and danced around him in the cold wind. Some was scattered into the wind and became apart of the horrid storm, while some, joined with new snowflakes from the gray sky, softly fell on his fallen form.

His eyes, glazed over with exhaustion and numbness, couldn't look at the snow around him, his neck unable to turn to see if his body was still there.

"Have to…get up…miles dost one keep…have to get… many miles till…must… thy sleep…sleep…"

From above he felt a presence, but had no strength left in him to even glance at the being that stood tall above him.

"Do you wish to quit now?" the presence asked him. It was the horse from earlier.

"…miles…keep…sleep…"

"Do you wish to end it here?"

"…I don't want to…but…but I can't move…"

"Then…are you willing to die now…for the sake of love?"

"…not…not like this…can't…die…sleep…sleep is…die…can't sleep…"

The snow was all around him. The white was blinding, and he could no longer make out the shadows. He didn't want to die, and he felt, for the first time in so long, tears swell out in his eyes. His tears were warm…but quickly turn to ice against his cold skin.

"I….would die…" his voice cracked and felt like ice in his throat. "…for love…but…" He felt strength rise up within him as he thought of what he would die for…more…who he would die for. He slowly felt his body rise and he was supporting his weight on his hands. "…I would…die for love…but…" he rose up to look at the horse that stood above him. "…I will not…" he felt his anger build up inside of him and close to his chest he felt apart of himself patch up around the whole near his heart.

"I will not….DIE HERE!"

At this and with all the force, he could muster; he bolted up and grabbed the horse around its neck. The horse did not flitch at the quick and tight embrace of the young turtle creature. He felt the turtles heavy breathe against its neck and the weight of his body as he began to sink due to fact that he had used all his energy to launch himself upwards. As he was about the fall, he felt him whisper in his ear.

"I will not…die like this…with no one to die for and people still to live for…no matter the conditions or temptations…I will not falter…for the ones I love…"

At this the arms that were starting to slip around his neck fell limp and his body began to fall backwards.

As Michelangelo fell, his half-shut eyes gazed upwards and, for the first time, he was able to make out what he had been following for so long.

A horse, whose clear eyes reflected the turtle's own love back to him.

At this he smiled, closed his eyes, and prepared himself to fall back into the snow.

However, he didn't feel the burning of the cold snow against his shell and lower back, but a warm embrace, and then all was dark.

* * *

"Easy now…be careful with that thing! The boss wants it undamaged!…Man! We're all gonna be promoted for this job!" 

"Where we taking this thing anyway?"

"I just called for a pick up of the body from Party B82, they'll be here in a just a few minutes."

"Good, cause this thing is heavy."

"Stop complaining, and get it near the road."

Voices echoed from just a little ahead as a turtle with the color purple dancing around his eyes and head raced down the broken sewer pipes and drainage system leading far out into the city. How his brother head found himself so far away from the city in such a sort amount of time was mind baffling, but irrelevant. All that mattered was his sibling's safety. As he came closer to the dim light at the end of the large tunnel, the voices from outside of it grew ever so louder and clearer.

Slowly, the turtle emerged just slightly from the shadowed drain and peered out to see who was out there. At first, he could have sworn he was seeing shadows speak, but upon closer inspection and the squinting of his eyes, he could see it was…

"Foot Ninja!" he felt himself cry softly to himself. He felt his hands reach for his shell cell, when something else caught his eye. Something larger and bulkier that took three of the men to carry…what was it?

He felt the phone drop in his hands and a sudden horror mixed with a pitch of anger build inside of him. Before he could even think, he pulled out his bow staff and jumped down from the drain to the soft, grass covered earth.

The darkened ninjas had no time to think, as one of their own men was cracked right upside of his head with a loud THWACK!

They watched as his body fell limp against the soft earth and quickly looked up to the swinging stick flying into the faces, backs, arms, and legs of their other comrades. It was some time before the mysterious warrior leaped back and showed his barely visible face to his opponents.

"It's one them reptiles!" one of them cried, but this was the only words that were spoken, as the three that carried the bulky form were sent away with their treasure while the others defended their find; circling around the reptilian warrior.

The eyes of the lone warrior saw what was happening, and charge forward in order to get to the three that were fleeing, crying out in a loud battle roar as he did so.

Just as he charged forward, the ninjas began their assault.

Meanwhile, a voice from a small electronic device cried out from the abandoned sewer.

"Don! Donny! What happened? Can you hear me? Donatello!"

* * *

"Michael?…Michelangelo, can you hear me?" 

He heard the voice speak to him with a softness that echoed throughout his entire body. He felt warmth surround his form, inside and out, and the voice only amplified the relaxed feeling that stretched from his head to his feet.

His eyes slowly cracked open and looked at the foggy imagine that stood above him. It took a moment, while his eyes adjusted and his vision became clear, to see who it was. It was…

"You!" he felt himself cry out in happiness.

He rose up quickly and looked at her with surprise and happiness. He then noticed his hands and looked at his body. It was as it was when he was first brought to this plane, his soul, a blue, white, and clear mist of a soul.

He looked at the woman who was kneeling next to him, smiling so sweetly that he felt his whole body tingle from her radiance.

It was the angel from when he was first brought to this plane.

"What happened?" he asked, almost excited.

She tilted her had and telepathically answered him.

"You overcame the obstacles of your own heart and have learned many lessons about yourself."

"But…but what happened with the last lesson?"

"A test of love…and how far you are willing to go…"

He was going to try and contemplate what she said, if he had not caught a glance ahead. He felt his mouth drop and a smile spread from ear to ear. One of the most beautiful sights he had ever seen lay before him. An ancient city of crystal and gold, was under him, with rivers of following all through, leading to a sparkling ocean that lay far in the distance. The sun was sparkling on the waters of the horizon and the city shimmered as if it were all diamonds.

They layed in the grass just a mile or so away, up high above the city, just right for catching ever detail of the enchanting world below.

"What…what is this place?" he asked, astonished.

"This is one of the many worlds that lie far away from Earth and your plane of existence. I thought you would enjoy the view." She said with a small giggle

He turned and smiled at her. Never before had he felt so wonderful, but soon his face changed as he saw her own face change ever so slightly.

"What is it?" he asked, concerned

She rose to her feet and came very close to him, he felt almost nervous by the weight stare and the expression on her face. She came close and touched a small area around his heart. He looked down to see what she was doing, and saw a small hole just over his heart. He had almost forgot about why he was here and looked at her concerned about his well being; her expression made him anxious and worried.

"You…you've learned all you needed to know and realized all that needed to be realized…why is it that your soul is still slightly broken?"

"You mean….you don't know!" He asked almost horrified. He thought of this angel as a being of infinite wisdom and insight. The fact that she didn't know what was still wrong with him blanketed him with indescribable fear and dread. If she didn't know then…who did?

Her face became increasingly worried as she looked into his worried expression. The wind came in slowly, with a slight chill in it's coming. They turned in the direction of the wind and both of their expressions dropped completely.

"What….what is that?" he asked as he stared off far into the distance.

The once beautiful sun was darkened and the sky grew cold and unforgiving. The city sparkled no more and grew dark with shadows. No longer did it shimmer like a diamond in the light, but rather it grew cold and lifeless.

The sky was growing more and more dark as the unknown black clouds rolled closer and closer to towards them. With a sudden crash, a lightening bolt came shooting out and struck the highest point of the highest building in the city and set it aflame.

With this sudden crash of light and sound, the angel woman snapped out of her stare and pulled on Michelangelo quickly, away from the city.

"Quickly! We must leave here!"

"Why?" he asked as he did his best to keep up with her fast pace. "What is that thing?"

"It's…"

* * *

"…dark!" 

"What?"

"It's so dark in here, I can't see my own hand in front of my face!"

"Just keep following the signal. It's just a little further ahead."

"I'm worried about Donny. Why won't he answer his cell?"

"I don't know…and with Hun and the Foot around…I'm really worried."

"How the hell _did_ he find out?"

"I have no idea…let's just keep moving!"

The two brothers of red and blue had meet further down in the sewer pipe and were now running full speed, side by side, down the darkened pipes and tunnels.

In the distance, just faintly, they could hear the sounds of weapons clashing together, heavy breathing, and cries of anger.

After what seemed like an entirety, the two brothers emerged from the tunnel only to watch one of their own, bloody and scared all over, be sent flying far into the distance, his body crashing hard with the earth below.

"DON!" the two cried in unison

Fast as lightening, they had jumped down from the sewer drain and were next to their fallen brothers side.

Scattered like autumn leaves were many of the Foot soldiers, but still many were standing. However, it wasn't just them that had taken down the turtle's brother.

A crack of knuckles filled the air, and this was enough to not only bring the attention of the two uninjured turtles away from the burse-covered brother, but also identify who had helped in the beating of their brother.

"Looks like we win the game, turtles. I think my men have already claimed their prize." A darkened, tall, and bulky figure emerged from the crowd of ninjas, cracking his opposite hands knuckles.

Leo looked dumbstruck and shot his head in disbelieve.

"How…how did you get here before us!" he asked, astonished.

The figure laughed and snickered at him.

"Unlike you simple minded mutants, I didn't run here. Once I got the word I drove over!"

Before Raphael could attack, a hand quickly darted and took his shoulder. The brother turned to see that it was Donatello, struggling to stand, but all right.

"They….they have…"

* * *

"MICHAELENGLO!" 

A voice cried as the wind swirled around the two soul like figures. The wind was swirling around and tried to catch the two figures in a vortex of wind and darkness that looked to consume anything below it. The two were not able to run from it fast enough, and could only cling to a large rock for protection from the force in the heavens. A dark vortex that spun and sucked in anything that wasn't bolted down. Pieces of the once beautiful city had begun to crumble and the pieces were being pulled up, only to disappear once they reached the center of the swirling darkness.

Michelangelo was holding on to the piece of earth as tight as he could, as he shielded the angel woman with his body. His feet were slowly lifted up from the ground, which made him dig his fingers deeper into the rock, till the rock itself had dented impressions of his hands.

He had no idea what this thing was, but he had the feeling that he needed to stay away from it or something horrible could happen.

"Why do you fear me?"

His eyes slowly opened and he looked up to where he could have sworn he heard the voice.

"Why do you fear me?" the voice from the sky asked again.

"Is this…is this another test?" he cried into the sky.

He felt something grabbed tight around his waist and he looked down to see what it was. It was the angel. She gripped him tightly and rubbed his face against his chest.

"NO! It's not a test Michelangelo! Don't listen to it! No matter what it says, don't listen to it!"

He looked down at her fear stricken face and became afraid at what the force might be. He turned his head back to the sky and looked at it with a face that showed that he would not be swayed by the voices words.

"Your friend fears me, because she does not know who I am."

"Then, who are you?"

"Michelangelo! Don't listen!"

"…I am your salvation."

* * *

A cry pierced the air that made the Earth shake just slightly. 

Three brothers fought in the night against the ninjas of the Foot and the servant of their master; Hun.

Normally, they wouldn't be a problem. However, they were clearly out numbered and they were growing more and more exhausted with each ninja they took down.

Hun watched as his endless amount of ninjas took care of the job for him, when a call came through on his cell phone. He quickly grabbed it from his belt loop and held it to his ear. He nodded and smiled, and without a word spoken, ended the call and turned to back to the fight.

Overhead a few helicopters came across the battle; each one stamped with the symbol of the foot clan on the side.

With a snap of his fingers, the ninjas returned to his side.

"I believe we won this round, turtles."

"NO! We're not finished with you yet!" Raphael stepped forward and began to run towards them. "We won't stop till we have our brother back!"

Hun dodged the exhausted turtle easily and kicked him far away from them.

"RAPH!" Leonardo called to him as he watched him fly

The ninjas, meanwhile, had begun to disperse; some taking a helicopter and a few just fleeing into the distance and blending into there darkened surroundings.

A rope ladder came and landed behind Hun and he gently took it. He began to ascend into the sky as the two standing turtles gave chase. The helicopter was too fast for them, however, and soon Hun was hovering high above them, laughing as he began to fly into the distance.

"We will contact you soon turtles! We won round one, better luck with round two!" With that and a loud laugh, the door of the helicopter was shut and it took off back into the city.

The three boiled with anger and hatred that couldn't be fathomable to any other person. Raphael felt his hand clutch the dirt under him and begin to form a tight fist. He rose up quickly, the dirt still clutched in his fists, when something caught his eye.

He released the dirt in his right hand to look at what he had caught in his left hand.

He picked up the end of it and shook the dirt, to see what the object was.

It was Michelangelo's mask.

With this his anger and hatred for what Foot had done and all that had happened had reached a boiling point and he let out a scream that echoed through out the fields.

Soon, his two brothers joined him, and together they screamed out their frustration, anger, and sadness into the darkened sky.

End of Chapter 5

Oh….my….GOD! That took me so long to write…dies

My god, that must have taken me, off and on, a full month. I feel like crawling into a corner and sleeping for the next ten years.

Again, so sorry for the delay in posting this, but this is one hell of a chapter that I hope you all enjoy!

Bye for now!

goes to sleep


	6. Chapter 6

Dear Readers,

Hey! What's up everyone? I know, I know. It's been such a long while since I updated; school has been all over me. I think they realize I'm trying to write this. Maybe I stumbled across something they didn't want others to know….EGADS! My School is probably run by The Foot! Save me! TT

Before they come in and silence me for good, I'll relay the next chapter.

Enjoy!

.: KareBear :.

I don't own TMNT…but I sure as hell would love to :3

"Stuck in the Middle with You"

Chapter 6

A shift of a clear H2O droplet, sent sudden vibrations to emanate from the impact and disturb the once still liquid below. The vibrations sent off in a circular pattern till they slowly lessened in power from its initial impact with the fall and the liquid once again became still.

Then the process was repeated once again.

And again.

And again.

Drip

Drip

The water fell, one by one, ever few seconds or so, and hit the clear surface of the collected water that was forming in the sink. The noise could be heard throughout the sewers. Many pipes and drains that carried the same liquid, dripped it's own waters into other unknown puddles throughout the underground system. These 'noise makers' of the sewers couldn't be seen, only heard. The noise vibrating through the many corridors, pipes, and drains of the unknown secret world of the New York sewers.

The air inside was unusually calm. Where once the sounds of a strange, yet happy family filled the sewers with a little more feeling, there was now only stillness and uneasiness.

The presence of only one figure could be felt in the hidden home of the underground vigilantes.

A being, covered in fur, wearing a stain and tattered robe, sat, legs cross, unmoving, on the floor of his sectioned off room. His eyes were shut and his body was still and motionless.

His body shrouding his true motives.

While his body remained still and strong, his mind was combing the astral channels of the mind in search of his lost son, in the hopes of connecting with him and locating his whereabouts.

He knew his son was in great danger. There was no way of truly telling as there was no evidence to prove that was in terrible parallel, but his soul was thoroughly convinced that his young son needed to be found and brought back to the safety of their home.

His mind called to the four corners of the astral connections, and beckoned the deities of the spiritual plane to add him in his search. His search, thus far, had been fruitless, but he would stand for no result but of the one he wished for.

He searched on.

Calling out.

'Michelangelo. My son. Where are you? Hear my thoughts, my son, and answer my call. Let us help you return home. Let us help you return to where you belong.'

There was silence.

Yet…something seemed to answer.

The noises of the sewers suddenly stopped.

The air became suddenly so still and tense, it seemed as death itself had walked into the abode.

'…_.do….do you think you can help him?'_

Splinters heart froze. His mind could make up no figure. Just darkness, that answered his call. He returned the question with an answer.

'_yes'_

'…_are you sure?…'_

'_yes'_

'…_then come and save him….save him…'_

There was a sudden tightness around his forehead and his eyes snapped up. His breathed became choked, as if someone was strangling him, as he reached with quivering hands to his forehead.

'…_come save him…'_

With one powerful tug, and Splinters eyes rolled to the back of his head, his body stopped convulsing, and his breathe slide out from his throat like a snakes hiss.

'…_from himself.'_

A wise person once said that time is irrelevant.

For a child summer vacation may have felt like only a few short hours, while a moment with the girl of your dreams can feel like a lifetime.

Moments passed like centuries to the minds of three turtles that had watched as their fallen brother had been darted away in the hands of someone of dark intentions.

Thoughts ran quickly through each one's head like lyrics to a song of a common theme.

Failure.

Worry.

Self-inflection.

Doubt….

…..regret….

Leonardo was first to snap his eyes open and, with wary limbs, push himself into a standing position.

"We can't waste anymore time" he said in a calm voice that sounded was cloaked in anger. He walked over to where they both sat "Get up, we don't have time for this."

There was a long pause. Leonardo grew frustrated.

"I SAID, GET…"

"Leo,….did you see him?"

Leonardo turned towards the one who spoke. It was Donatello.

Head bent towards the earth and body still, but his eyes were wide and they trembled ever so slightly.

"Did you see him? He looked like he was…"

"Don't say it Don." Leonardo clenched his fists to hold back his anger.

"…he looked like he di…."

"I SAID DON'T SAY IT!" Leonardo's eyes shot open and his voice came out strained and horse. "WE DON'T NEED YOUR ASSUMPTIONS RIGHT NOW DON, GOT IT!"

Donatello was still looking at the ground, his eyes still slightly trembling, but as the words took hold, his eyes turned angry and he quickly stood up to become face to face with his older brother, much to this brothers surprised seeing as this was very unlike him.

"THEN WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO? LIE TO MYSELF! I was there when they carried him away; I saw his face right up close. While you two were trying to catch up, I was fighting them all off and for a moment; I was able to get a hold of him. I touched his skin Leo…it was cold like ice."

"Well, you didn't do a very good job of hanging onto him did you?"

Donatello drew back every so much as he looked into his brothers darken eyes. How could he be this cruel? His lip quivered and his hands search for his boa staff.

"You….HOW DARE YOU…."

"ENOUGH!"

The word cut the air like a knife. All actions, thoughts, feelings, came to a suddenly halt as a cry came suddenly from beside them. The air was tense as the two waited for their third brother, who was still situated on the ground his eyes peering at them with the utmost contempt, to speak.

"Don't you get it? Or are you both still hang up on your own thoughts to see what's going on?" as he spoke, he slowly drew himself up. "They want you two act like this. They know what will happen when they break us apart, especially like this."

Both stood silent, soaking in this information.

"Leonardo, I know you expect to be able to do everything yourself, but you can't blame others when they tried their best, got it?"

Leonardo neither disagreed nor agreed, but only compelled with his brothers thoughts with understanding silence.

"And Don" turning towards his shaking brother "don't assume the worst. We still don't know what happened here and we can't assume the worst and expect to keep fighting for Mikey."

Donatello starred at his composed brother for a few everlasting moments, before slowly dropping his hands to his sides, his muscles relaxing as he did so.

"…I'm sorry…" Donatello spoke to them in barely a whisper

"…as am I…" Leonardo said with more conviction, his attitude adjusting with Raphael's insight "and I gotta say, I'm surprised at how calm you are Raph." Raphael only smiled as best a smile as he could, given the current situation. "Come on then. Let's head back to the liar and get some equipment, most likely we'll needed it."

The two nodded in unison and all quickly darted for the pipes that would lead them back home. Raphael stopped a moment just outside the pipe as the others went in to take a look at the orange object in his left hand.

And a moment became irrelevant; seeming to last a lifetime as memories of his goofy, kind heart brother came rushing to him.

And water began to rush to his eyes, but he quickly brushed them away as he tied the mask to his upper left arm and raced to join his brothers.

_It's so dark. I can't see. _

_No._

_Wait._

_Is that a light?_

_It's becoming so blinding. _

_Am I moving or is it moving towards me?_

It's so bright. I can't see.

With a sudden burst of light, all is lost to the old sensei's senses as he drifts further and further away.

"Michelangelo! Please don't believe what it says! It's trying to deceiving you!"

The angel clung to Michelangelo's chest and cried out in an imploring voice that was lost to deaf voice as the young turtle starred at the sky, listening to the voice of the void that talk of salvation.

"Do you want to trust an angel who tries to help you, but knows not even the full extent of your aliment?"

"Better an supposed angel with a little knowledge and a good heart, then an supposed angel with all the knowledge and destructive intent."

Michelangelo said these worlds with such conviction, that even the angel had to stop her pleas to listen to his words.

"I only destroy the manipulations of this creatures…" the tone directed at the angel "…beautiful prison for your mind."

"Beautiful prison?"

The angel broke out of her stare and began to call to Michelangelo again, but her voice once again fell to deaf ears, as Michelangelo slowly seemed to let his defenses down to this void.

"She may have healed you a small amount, but not even she knows how to cure you completely and what good is healing without the knowledge or power to protect yourself from this…disease again?"

"I don't…"

"You were taught of Trust, Truth, and Love, but what of life's most important lesson?"

"Life's most important…" Michelangelo's voice was soft and dulled.

"It's power! Don't you need power to trust, power to be truthful, power to love?"

"Power?…" Michelangelo was slowly losing his grip on the piece of earth that kept him on the ground as if he was slowly being intoxicated with the voids words.

"Power to trust; the power one obtains so that if trust is broken, one may have the strength to begin again. Power to be truthful; the strength to be truthful to those around you. Power to love; the power you need…to protect the one's you love."

As the void was speaking, a tiny glint of light appeared a few feet from the turtle and slowly becoming visible was the soul like form of the young turtles sensei, Master Splinter.

Master Splinter's eyes slowly peered around as if he had once been blinded and was now given his sight. He turned his slowly to gaze around him, noticing that the very powerful looking gusts of wind that seemed to be pulling everything within it's touch towards a giant black hole within the sky, did not effect him. However, as he began to expect his body and questioned why he was pale blue, white, and clear, he saw two figures, similar in color to his own, clutching to a piece of earth, but slowly one was letting go of the earth.

He starred for what seemed like hours at the two of them. One seemed to be a woman, an angel perhaps?

But the other ones shape struck him as odd, yet strangely familiar.

Still dazed from his travels, he stood in calm thought, but then a voice that sounded too familiar came from that creature's mouth.

"I want…."

Master Splinter's eyes went wide and he spoke just above a whisper. "Michelangelo?"

"I want that…"

With this dawning realization, the knowledge of the current situation came flooding with it.

"I want that power!" Michelangelo cried to the void.

The angel cried in a desperate voice. "Don't do it Mich…."

"MICHAELANGELO!"

The voice drew the attention of both the angel and the young turtle, seeming to break him out of his trance with the recognition of this new voice.

"My son! Is that you?" Mast Splinter run close, but then stopped to wait for an answer before rejoicing.

"Master…. Splinter?" His voice seemed dazed and confused and even though his master had taken on a form similar to his own, he could still recognize his presence as his old master. "How did…"

"Michelangelo, hear my words" The void spoke and Michelangelo slowly turned back to the void, still slightly under it's spell of words, as the angel began to try to turn his attention away. Master Splinter came up and clutched to his arm while speaking of how he had missed him along with many questions, but everything fell to once again to deaf ears. "Your master stands besides you now, but for how much longer? He grows weaker each day and will soon not be able to protect you, his son, your brothers, or himself. Do you wish to protect him, your values, your brothers, your friends, and yourself with your own hands?"

Michelangelo slowly turned to his Master, who seemed to be speaking, but he could hear no words. He saw the love his Master had for him and knew of the unconditional love he had for him.

"…yes…"

"Then let go of everything and come with me, I will give you power and with it salvation. Come with me."

With this Michelangelo completely let go of this earth and as he did so, a large gust of wind, larger then anything before, came to carry him away. His body limply began to float away, completely hypnotized by the beings words, but before it could get very far, hands reached out and grabbed his arms. He looked at them with have awareness as they screamed at him to awaken, and slowly his hearing came to him.

"Please Michelangelo! We've come so far!" the angel implored with what looked like glowing white tears streaming down her face "Your heart is so pure, don't be tempted like this!"

"But…" he spoke in a voice that seemed small and tried "…I want to protect them."

"Yes, you do my son, but we wish to do the same for you!" Master Splinter said in tone that sounded both caring and powerful at the same time "Right now, back on Earth, your brothers are desperately searching for you as was I, they wish to protect you, as I do right now!"

"Master…"

With a sudden burst against them, the wind became too much for them, and suddenly their grip was lost.

Time became irrelevant once again.

As the young soul was taken far away from his grasp, eternity like moments passed filled with thoughts of yesterday with his son and the master felt himself begin to cry.

Soon he was gone, and the wind seemed be getting pulled into the void as well. As it slowly began to disappear, the being in the void spoke.

"Thank you, Old Master. Without your presence, I wasn't sure he would have truly wanted to come with me. However, seeing you, wanting to protect you, has made him truly desire me and for that I thank you. Now your presence is no longer required."

With this Master began to slowly fade away and felt an inescapably strong pull, as if something was trying to drag him away.

"NO! Give me back my son!" The master cried as he tried to free himself from the invisible grasp.

"I brought you here and now I will return you to whence you came safely for servering as an aid to my wish. Besides…" and as he spoke his final words, both the void and Master Splinter disappeared "…he belongs to me now."

And a young angel was left to weep.

"Master Splinter? Master Splinter can you hear me?"

Leonardo was gently knocking on his Master's door. He had important news to tell him, but the sign on his door that told him "Meditating: Do not disturb" made him feel that he should approach him gingerly.

"Master Splinter? We don't have much time, but I have something important to tell you!" Leonardo a tad harder, hoping his Master would hear him. He decided to disregard the sign, as the news was just too important, but just as he went to turn the handle his brother came along side him.

"Leave him Leo. He's meditating, maybe getting some answers. Besides, better to come back with Mikey then to burden him with bad news."

"Guess your right." Leonardo looked at the door once more and turned away.

"Come on! Donny has the van prepped and ready to go!"

With a quick nod, the two were off and on their way to the Foot head quarters.

Time became irrelevant once more as moments passed like lifetimes, and within a matter of a few seconds of leaving, the old Master, who lay conscious on the floor, was filled with life once again. His eyes shot open and he quick gasped for as much air as his lungs would take as if he had drown in his meditative world.

He grabbed his heart and shook while trying to regain his composer. Soon the realization of what had just transpired sunk in and his eyes filled with tears.

A shift of a clear H2O mixed with salt droplet, sent sudden vibrations to emanate from the impact and disturb the once still liquid below. The vibrations sent off in a circular pattern till they slowly lessened in power from its initial impact with the fall and the liquid once again became still.

Then the process was repeated once again.

And again.

And again.

Drip

Drip

End of Chapter 6

Author Notes:

Oh my god! I am SOOOO sorry that took so long to get to everyone. I've had a lot of people tell me to get on the ball with this. You don't know how much that actually helped. Thanks guys!

Well, sorry to say ladies and gentlemen, that we're getting down to the wire here. I only have about two more chapters planned for this story, and then it will be finished.

But hey! Don't be sad!

I've got something awesome planned!

Currently in the works is a story, I believe, will blow this one out of the water! It took me a month to come up with the concept and I've got a lot of characters from the TMNT universe incorporated in it.

Stay tuned as that will actually come out fairly soon.

Well, gotta get going. Talk to you all later!


End file.
